See You At The Pole, Beyond The Pole events planned for Wednesday

September 20, 2013

BROADWAY BAPTIST CHURCH
Itâ€™s homecoming weekend in Sweetwater. Graduates from all years will gather in town, have parties, reminisce and enjoy each otherâ€™s company once again. (By the way, it is true, the older you get the better you were.) There will be a parade, kids will enjoy candy and then Sweetwater will take on Wall High School. GO MUSTANGS! It will be a great weekend of fun and festivities for all.
As I think of homecoming I am reminded that one day there will be a homecoming of homecomings, when all Godâ€™s children from every walk and race will be gathered together on the streets of gold. It will be a time of rejoicing, as we will see Jesus face to face; a time of reuniting, as we will be with our loved ones gone before; and a time of relinquishing, as we put away the old and put on the new.
This week, as we celebrate homecoming, let it be a reminder to be ready for the greatest Homecoming by making sure we have trusted Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. Jesus told his disciples and followers in John 14:3: â€ś...I will come again and receive you unto myself.â€ť If you are a believer that message is for you. Are you ready for that great Homecoming day?
This Sunday, the 22nd, we have a special guest speaker, Rev. Ed Courtney. He will minister to us during the morning service at 10:50 a.m. He is a retired pastor that has a long history of service to our Lord. He has pastored in California, Colorado and many years in Texas.
If you donâ€™t have a church home, we, at Broadway Baptist Church, would like to welcome you to come and visit us this Sunday. Our Life Groups, which is for all ages, starts at 10 a.m. Our morning service is at 10:50 a.m. and our evening service begins at 6 p.m. Come and let us be a blessing to you as we worship the Lord together.

EMMANUEL FELLOWSHIP CHURCH
We invite you to join us this Sunday at Emmanuel Fellowship Church. Our Sunday morning services are at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Both morning services are filled with the same warm fellowship, dynamic worship and life-giving messages, as well as top-notch childrenâ€™s ministry and nursery care for children up to fifth grade.
This week, we will continue our September sermon series, which is a deep look at our glorious King Jesus through the book of Colossians. You donâ€™t want to miss this opportunity to grow closer to your Lord, so come join us as we study His words together.
Lifegroups have begun for the fall semester. For more information about the many Lifegroup options that are available, please log on to our church website at www.efcsweetwater.com.
EFCâ€™s Wednesday evening childrenâ€™s ministry is in full-swing, with children ages six months through fifth grade exploring what living life with Jesus really looks like. They meet Wednesdays from 6:45-8:30 p.m. and are loving their time together in the â€śFaith Factory!â€ť
The Salvage Yard youth ministry, for grades 6-12, meets Wednesdays at 6:45 p.m. for their worship service and again on Sundays at 6 p.m. for small group discipleship. The Salvage Yard is also sponsoring a â€śKidsâ€™ Night Outâ€ť this Saturday, from 6-10 p.m. Parents are invited to drop their kids to the Yard for an evening of food, games, a jumpy castle and a kid-friendly movie. The cost is $15 per child, and all proceeds go to improvements in the Salvage Yard.
We also invite you to step into The Growth Central Bookstore when you visit EFC. Itâ€™s stocked with Bibles, study aids, devotionals, marriage and parenting resources, worship music, inspirational gifts, original art and fiction books â€” thereâ€™s something for everyone! The bookstore is open between Sunday morning services, from 10:30-11 a.m. and 12:30-1 p.m.
For more information about the ministry of EFC, log onto the church website at www.efcsweetwater.com.

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
First Baptist Church invites you and your family to join us on this Sunday, Sept. 22, for Bible study, beginning at 9:15 a.m. for all ages, followed by the Sunday morning service, which begins at 10:30 a.m. First Baptist Church is located at 213 East Third Street, next door to the Post Office. We warmly greet you. Your presence will enhance our worship experience and our fellowship together.
Koinonia coffee is held at The Welcome Center before Bible study each Sunday morning. Coffee is the perfect complement to meeting old friends and new. It is an invitation to sit and talk for a while, to share stories, to get to know one another better. You are invited to join friends each Sunday morning as we all share a warm cup of Koinonia Coffee.
There are many opportunities for service. If you have not received a church participation form, please pick one up in the church office. As members of the Body of Christ at First Baptist Church, we are all called to serve in one way or another. We have many areas of service available to you. Childrenâ€™s Church facilitators are always welcome. Choir rehearsal continues on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. Please join us.
We want to reinvent the Fall Festival and see it become a more purposeful experience that reflects our call to share the Good News. We need five or six volunteers to work alongside the staff to redesign the Fall Festival. Call the office to volunteer your help.
Each month, the Missions Closet will ask for a new item of the month. The item will help keep the food pantry stocked to better serve our community. The item needed for the month of September will be canned green beans. Please put donations in the box outside the Missions Closet.
Please stop by the foyer after worship service and pick up a bookmark designated for a particular student. You can put it in your Bible and pray for that student this year.
KidX began Sept. 18. We continue on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. to engage children and the Kingdom of God. It is not too late to be a part of this vital ministry. Call the church office to volunteer.
Child Sex-Trafficking Awareness will be September 21. Slavery is an unspoken crisis in the United States, and speaker Melissa Woodward is a survivor. Hear her story at FBC Roby along with a delicious meal. Tickets can be purchased for $8.
Twenty times in the New Testament, Jesus issued a compelling and challenging invitation to follow Him. Heâ€™s not interested in mere fans or enthusiastic admirers. He wants completely committed followers! Growth Groups this fall over the book â€śNot a Fanâ€ť by Kyle Idleman will be led by our Deacons. Sign up today for this wonderful study that begins Sept. 22.
We will have a guest speaker on Sept. 22. Dr. Albert Reyes, President and CEO of Buckner International will be preaching during the worship service at 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 25, our students will gather together at 7 a.m. at flagpoles on their campuses. We are encouraging adults to gather at the courthouse at 7 a.m. for prayer, as well. That evening at 7 p.m., our students will gather at the city auditorium for Beyond the Pole with Jeâ€™Kob in concert and Cody Favor speaking.
For in depth information on First Baptist Church Sweetwater, find us on Facebook or at www.fbcsweetwater.org.

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
First Presbyterian Church of Sweetwater welcomes all to join us for worship. Our church is a warm and loving church and we want you to feel comfortable and at liberty to call on us for anything you need pastorally. We would love to have you be our guest.
All Sunday school classes will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 22, and will continue the study of The Story. Paula Carmichael and Linda Rasco are greeters. Kenny Maxwell will be worship assistant. We will celebrate the baptism of Addalyn Grace Webb during the worship service. There is also a congregational meeting right after worship to elect the committee to nominate elders.
Youth Night is Sunday, Sept. 22, from 6-7 p.m. Marina Wilcox will be meeting with all high school and middle school kids. Lou Ann Cumbie will meet with the IBK (first through fifth grades).
Palo Duro Presbyterian Cursillo #27 will be Oct. 10-13, at Big Country Camp in Lueders. Cursillo is a short course in Christianity. It is a three-day weekend that is intended to impact the life of the participant in a specific, identifiable way. For more information, contact the church office at 235-5491.
The mission of First Presbyterian Church is to make disciples for Jesus Christ by being an oasis of Godâ€™s love. Worship services are each Sunday at 10:45 a.m. We are located at the corner of 14th Street and McCaulley, across from the high school. Find out more information about our ministry by calling 235-5491 or visit the churchâ€™s website www.fpcsweetwater.org.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Sweetwater First United Methodist Church wants to invite you to join us on Sunday mornings to worship and praise our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The United Methodist Church is open to all persons and is a place where all are welcome and encouraged to â€ścome as you areâ€ť with the expectation that by the grace of God you will leave different. The change that a relationship with Christ brings about is a life-changing encounter and we believe that while God accepts us as we are, He loves us enough not to leave us in our sins. We believe that Scripture informs all aspects of our lives and should be our rule and authority.
The first service begins at 8:45 a.m. and is built around a traditional model with great hymns of the church. This service uses a more liturgical framework and often employs a wonderful choir. Immediately following the first service we have Sunday school classes for all ages and stages of life. We invite you to try one of our many opportunities to come together and seek God in small groups that emphasize Godâ€™s Word and proclaim His glory. At 10:50 a.m. we have a second worship service that has a decidedly contemporary flavor and incorporates more of progressive style and pace. This second service also has a Childrenâ€™s Church for kids in preschool through third grade. The children stay through our time of praise and then go to their own worship service.
Sweetwater FUMC also has youth activities on Sundays beginning at 6 p.m. with a prayer and praise time that we call Adoratio. Every Tuesday and Wednesday FUMC hosts the Gaylordâ€™s Pantry and a clothes closet from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Please enter through the North (Fourth Street) entrance if you would like to receive Godâ€™s blessing through either of these ministries.
News this week: Come join us this Sunday as we continue to explore the Circles of Influence each of us has in the Kingdom of God. If you think that your potential for impact in the kingdom is small, come hear how God can work with simple acts of obedience.
Activities this week:
Saturday, Sept. 21, at 9:30 a.m. â€” Bake sale in the Wal-Mart parking lot.
Sunday worship at 8:45 a.m. and 10:50 a.m.
Sunday at 5 p.m. â€” Prayer 101 (for third through eighth graders).
Sunday at 6 p.m. â€” Adoratio.
Sunday at 6:30 p.m. â€” â€śSecrets of the Secret Place.â€ť
Wednesday at 7 a.m. â€” See You at the Pole at the Sweetwater Middle School and Sweetwater High School campuses.
Wednesday at 7 p.m. â€” Beyond the Pole Concert at the City Auditorium.
Wednesday at 10 a.m. â€” Morning Bible study.
Fun activities are offered at different times during the month for fourth through sixth graders (Club 456) and first through third graders (UMKids). If you have any questions, call Linda at our church office (325-236-6617) or email churchoffice@fumcsweetwater.org. If you need prayer or have the need to contact our pastor, you can call the same number or email him at pastor@fumcsweetwater.org.

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Our Churchâ€™s Mission Statement: â€śTo glorify Christ in all that we do by bringing People to Christ and equipping them to serve Christ.â€ť
Join us for Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. and worship service at 10:45 a.m., with Pastor Claude bringing the message entitled, â€śNo one can serve two Masters: I know whom I have served.â€ť Worship assistants are Lisa Peterson serving as worship leader, Brenda Alexander leads the congregational hymns and plays the keyboard, pianist is Eugenia Hill and our greeter for the month of September is Mary Walker. Brenda and Eugenia will present a special musical selection during morning worship.
Our fall rummage and bake sale is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 18, and Saturday, Oct. 19, in the church fellowship hall. The community is invited to attend to shop for bargains for your family and purchase delicious homemade baked goods.
Oct. 20 is the consecration date for our next community outreach ministry, Gateway Family Services. The center offers its services and ministers to individuals involved in family violence and sexual assault in Scurry, Nolan, Mitchell, Fisher and Kent Counties. We are collecting good used and new suitcases, paper goods (toilet paper, Kleenex, paper towels, paper plates and paper cups), laundry detergent, dishwasher liquid, bar soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, bath towels and wash cloths. Bring your selected articles to church on or before the 20th and they will be placed in the appropriate location.
â€śBless This Houseâ€ť is calling upon prayer for our fellow Christians in Egypt, Syria and other Middle Eastern countries who are being persecuted by the terrorists. Their churches are being burned and destroyed. May they feel the presence of God through the power of prayer of Christians around the world in giving them the courage and strength in holding steadfast to their faith, comforting them as their personal lives and their families are under constant threat.
You are always invited to join us at 1801 Lamar Street, sharing in our vision of making Disciples of Jesus Christ, growing spiritually, fulfilling our God-given gifts, witnessing to others and ministering to ones in need.

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS (The Mormons)
Church launches new resources on Freedom of Religion
Salt Lake CityÂ â€”Â The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints published new resources to help people of conscience everywhere understand the importance of protecting religious freedom. These new resources include a unique animated video and other videos that stress the importance of preserving freedom of religion, a â€śSupport Religious Freedomâ€ť Facebook page that provides news and information about religious freedom and a topic page that lays out the principles of religious freedom and suggests ways to engage this issue.
An introductory video features Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who emphasizes that the â€śessential freedoms of conscience, embedded in religious liberty, must be diligently preserved and protected.â€ť
Leaders of many faiths, including Mormon apostles, have expressed deep concern that religious liberty is eroding in the United States and around the world. These resources contribute to the many conversations taking place on this topic and highlight freedom of religion as a fundamental human right that protects the conscience of all people and allows them to act upon what they deeply believe. Churches, religious organizations and individuals face increasing restrictions as they participate in the public square, exercise conscience in their professions, express their beliefs or serve in society.
â€śIt is important to become well-educated on this issue and take responsibility to pass on to future generations the religious freedom you now enjoy,â€ť Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Churchâ€™s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has said. â€śDefend religious freedom on the Internet and in your personal interactions in the neighborhoods and communities where you live.â€ť
Religious Freedom Whiteboard Animation and Other Videos
More than a year ago, the Church posted a series of in-depth commentaries addressing religious freedom on MormonNewsroom.org. The animated video is intended to inform those who have never thought about religious freedomâ€™s importance by providing a more immediate and engaging way to be introduced to the issue.
Calendar
Sept. 22 â€” Sunday church service at 9 a.m.
Sept. 23 â€” MondayÂ home evening.
Sept. 25 â€” Wednesday â€” Young women and Scouts.
Oct. 5 â€” Saturday â€” World General Conference televised Texas time, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Oct. 6 â€” Sunday â€” World General Conference televised, Texas time 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
We are located at 910 Elm Street in Sweetwater. If you would like to talk with representatives of the church about the Saviors teachings,
call 1-800 622-5595.Â Missionaries serving in this area are Elder Sheffield and Elder Ellsworth.Â Call 325 864-2999.